1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an open and common communication terminal system and method of converging the mobile cellular communications, wireless access systems and wired communications into one common platform architecture, supporting cost-effective and spectrum-efficient broadband voice, data and video services in both wireless and wired environment with one single common communication terminal device. The invention includes innovative system architecture in the common terminal and minimum modification in the existing mobile communication infrastructures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communications comprises a wide range of technologies, services and applications that have come into existence to meet the particular needs of different market sectors and user environments. Different systems can be broadly characterized by:                content and services offered;        frequency bands of operation;        standards defining the systems;        data rates supported;        bidirectional and unidirectional delivery mechanisms;        degree of mobility;        regulatory requirements; and        cost.        
The service requirements for telecommunications remain the following characteristics:                Speech and SMS (Short Message System):                    This service type requires a peak bit rates up to 16 kbps. In the year 2010 onwards, there will still remain needs for these very low data rate applications of speech and simple message service. In addition to that, some applications in the field of sensor communication and/or low bit rate data telemetry would also be expected for the category, as ubiquitous communications. Most of mobile e-commerce applications would also be categorized in this type.                        Multimedia and low rate data:                    This service type at a data rate of less than 144 kbps should also be considered, taking into account the compatibility with 3G and 2G data communication applications.                        Medium multimedia:                    This type support a peak bit rate of up to 2 Mbps. This type would be required to sustain the compatibility with the 3G applications.                        High multimedia:                    This type should be considered in order to accommodate high data rate applications, including multi-media video streaming services, which are provided with broadband service in fixed wired communication systems or with broadband wireless access systems.                        Super high multimedia:                    This type should also be considered in order to accommodate super high data rates multi-media applications, which are currently provided with Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) services in case of wired communication systems.            Currently, these services require different communication devices with different connection facilities that the users need frequent switch between various terminals at home, office and in other environments.                        
A service usage pattern may be categorized according to an area where users exploit similar services and expect similar quality of service:                Home        Office        Public area        Wide area        
In many countries, wireline Internet access in Home, Office and Public Area becomes very popular and affordable. Meanwhile, WLAN (wireless local area network) access is evolving rapidly in these domains.
Second generation (2G) wireless mobile systems were mainly designed for applications such as voice. Third generation (3G) and especially, beyond third generation (B3G) mobile system will increasingly be designed as combination of different access technologies to complement each other in an optimum way for different service requirements and radio environments in order to provide a common and flexible service platform for different services and applications.
Access to a service or an application may be performed using one system or may be performed using multiple systems simultaneously or alternatively. Specifically, as will be described within the context of the present invention and has yet been un-addressed in the art, such improved technology could include an integrated and converged communication system which will combine the wireless mobile communication, wireline communication, wireless local area network, broadband wireless access system and Internet into one common platform so that the single Mobile Terminal can operate as a home phone, office phone, mobile phone and open terminal with single user number, which is the unique identifier of this common communication terminal.
In the future operators may deploy a mix of technologies that could, at various stages in time and subject to market and regulatory considerations, incorporate cellular, WLAN (wireless local area network), WMAN (wireless metropolitan area networks) or called BWA (broadband wireless access), WPAN (wireless personal access network), digital broadcast, satellite and other access systems as discussed by the present invention.
This will require the seamless interaction of these systems in order for the user to be able to receive a variety of content via a variety of delivery mechanisms depending upon the particular terminal capabilities, location and user profile.
Different radio access systems will be connected via the open and flexible core networks. In this way, an individual user can be connected via a variety of different access systems to the networks and services he desires. The integration and convergence between these different access systems in terms of horizontal and vertical handover and seamless service provision with service negotiation including mobility, security and QoS management will be a key requirement.
Due to the different application areas, cell ranges and radio environments, the different access systems can be organized in a layered structure similar to hierarchical cell structures in cellular mobile radio systems. The different layers correspond to the:                Distribution layer: This layer comprises digital broadcast type systems to distribute the same information to many users simultaneously through unidirectional links.        Cellular layer: The cellular layer may comprise several cell layers with different cell size and or different access technologies.        Hot spot layer: This layer may be used for very high data rate applications, very high traffic density and individual links, e.g. in very dense urban areas, campus areas, conference centers, and airports.        Personal network layer: Personal area networks will support short range direct communication between devices.        Fixed (Wired) layer: This layer includes any fixed wireline access system.        
Such a common terminal system as provided by the present invention could intelligently converge mobile communications, Internet, wireline communications, wireless LAN, wireless MAN, wireless PAN, etc into an open system platform. Each of these represents a variety of applications, services and delivery mechanisms. These differing information flows are desired by the users to be available regardless of the means and manner of delivery. A case in point: With this common mobile terminal, one is able to receive voice communications, data messages, browse the web, transmit video, listen to MP3 music, etc at the most optimized way both in cost and spectrum. The most important is, this mobile terminal becomes the All-in-One common personal communicator at both home and office or on-the-move with unified single telephone number.
It is well predicted that 2G (second generation), 3G (third generation in its present state), B3G (beyond third generation), new mobile access and nomadic/local area wireless access elements are considered to be a system as a whole in the future. This converged and integrated communication platform as disclosed by the present invention, rather than separate and single mode of standards, will definitely drive the future telecommunication industry, but with new business model for service providers and operators.
Continuous evolution is foreseen in future mobile terminals, with use of new components, architectures, hardware, software platforms and improved user interfaces together providing increased performance. The key technologies that will enable the future advanced mobile terminals as described in the present invention include:                Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) supporting multiple standards        Smart antennas and new space/time coding and decoding techniques        High efficiency power amplifiers        New filters        Improved RF (radio frequency) modules, allowing higher operating frequencies and improved receiver sensitivity        Advances in signal processing, additional processing power        Improved battery technology with increased energy density        High-performance and low-power signal processing and processor platform based on OWA        Integration and convergence with wired terminal        
An unified global standard of mobile communications becomes extremely difficult and almost impossible. An Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) based converged wireless platform will thus become reasonable and feasible in both business and technology, and therefore ITU (international telecommunication union) IMT-Advanced standardization will be targeting this direction in long run.
Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) technology is the solution for the Fourth Generation wireless and mobile communications (4G) on the worldwide basis. OWA refers to the open broadband wireless platform that can support diverse wireless and mobile standards, and can integrate multiple wireless networks. To achieve this flexibility, OWA focuses on all aspects of a communication system such as RF (radio frequency), baseband processing, networking and application segments. The flexibility and adaptability required for the converged open wireless platform can be achieved by defining the open interface parameters for the OWA systems and sub-systems.
OWA helps in realizing global roaming facilities and seamless networking capabilities amongst different radio transmission technologies. It allows the network operators and subscribers to use third party solutions or user-defined solutions on their systems and to customize their systems according to their business models. Using OWA we can build systems which support multiple standards, multiple bands, multiple modes and offer diverse services to the customers.
OWA is different from SDR (software defined radio) as OWA basically maps various wireless standards into open interface parameters and maintain the system platform including RF, baseband, networks and applications an open architecture. Hence, in OWA systems, different modules (both hardware and software) can be from different vendors. It is similar to the open computer architecture in personal computer system and open network architecture in packet router system.
However, SDR is primarily a radio in which the operating parameters including inter alia frequency range, modulation type, and/or output power limitations can be set or altered by software in order to support different radio frequency bands and/or standards. Though SDR has been improved a lot to support re-configurability and flexibility, it is a closed architecture in coupling different radios into one broadband transceiver. In other words, SDR may consume much more power and spectrum in exchange of the system flexibility. From the business point of view, SDR is not a cost-effective solution in wireless communications.
The advanced system and method disclosed in the present invention enable the full integration and convergence of the above technologies so as to substantially increase the productivity and versatility of the communications services offered.